Hall adds Sapp, Allen and 5 others

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp and offensive lineman Larry Allen, who both closed out their decorated careers in the Bay Area, became first-ballot Hall of Famers on Saturday when they were selected for induction into the NFL’s shrine in Canton, Ohio.

The post-announcement reaction of the two men who spent their careers in the league’s trenches and easily weigh a combined 600 pounds: tears.

“I just broke down and started crying,” Allen said.

Sapp was similarly emotional: “Where are my wings?” he said. “I can fly.”

A 13-year veteran who spent his final four seasons with the Raiders, Sapp had 96 1/2 career sacks, the second most by an interior lineman in NFL history. He is one of six players in league annals to win a Super Bowl (2002 with Tampa Bay), the Defensive Player of the Year award (1999) and be named to at least seven consecutive Pro Bowls (1997-2003).

Sapp credited Tampa Bay teammates – safety John Lynch, linebacker Derrick Brooks and cornerback Ronde Barber – for making his Hall of Fame career possible. He didn’t mention his tenure with the Raiders. Oakland went 15-49 with Sapp from 2004 to ’07.

During the televised announcement at the Louisiana Convention Center, the finalists were announced alphabetically as they sat in a room backstage. Allen’s name was first. Sapp’s name was called last.

“I know they save the best for last,” he said. “But they could have done me better than that. That was scary.”

A 14-year veteran who spent his final two seasons with the 49ers, Allen’s road to Canton was an unlikely one. He played at Division II Sonoma State in Rohnert Park, which dropped its football program 17 years ago. A second-round pick of the Cowboys, he was an 11-time Pro Bowler who was named to the NFL’s all-decade team in the ’90s and ’00s. In San Francisco, he made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and was an alternate in 2007.

Known for his legendary strength, Allen could bench press more than 700 pounds.

“My thought process when I was playing the game was I wanted to make the guy quit,” Allen said. “Tap out.”

Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden, one of three first-ballot selections in the 2013 class, said Allen frightened the opposition.

Other inductees will be Cris Carter, a wide receiver with the Eagles and Vikings, and Bill Parcells, who coached the Giants to two Super Bowl wins. The class also includes a pair of senior picks – Packers outside linebacker Dave Robinson and Chiefs defensive lineman Curley Culp.